Twelve Days 'til Christmas
by S.J. Kohl
Summary: Zack discovers Sephiroth's never gotten Christmas presents before. Fluff. Rated for language, mostly. CloudxSephirothxZack
1. Day One:  Blow

Twelve Days 'til Christmas  
Day One: Blow  
By S.J. Kohl

Pairing: Cloud/Sephiroth/Zack  
Rating: PG-13, over all  
Summary: Zack discovers Sephiroth's never gotten Christmas presents before.  
Disclaimer: Not mine.

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"Hey."

Cloud paused and looked behind him. The corridor was empty. Shrugging, he turned and continued walking toward the small room he shared with two other cadets. But he'd only taken a couple of steps when he heard it again.

"Hey! Cloud."

Narrowing his eyes, Cloud stopped, his last step echoing hollowly across the grey walls of the barracks building. It was a whisper, a deep, husky whisper he suspected he knew all too well. With an inward sigh, Cloud cast his eyes up to the ceiling. He didn't bother looking around again; there wouldn't be anything to see. "What do you want, Zack?"

A shameless chuckle in response, then…

Cloud's eyes widened slightly as a silver vent cover was shifted out of its place among the white ceiling tiles and Zack's head slid through the gap, bright violet eyes peering mischievously--upside down--at Cloud.

"How did you even know I was walking by here?" Cloud asked, not quite daring to ask why in the godforsaken world Zack was crawling around in the ventilation system.

Zack grinned. "I'd know your footsteps anywhere, Spiky."

"Umm…thanks. I think."

"No problem." Zack didn't say anything else. He just kept grinning down at Cloud as the blood filled his face, lending him a strangely attractive red flush.

Cloud cleared his throat. "Zack, what do you want?"

Zack's eyes gleamed. "Come up here."

"What?!"

"Come. Up. Here."

"Why?" Cloud's voice was flat, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Any plan of Zack's was bound to get him in trouble. The last great idea Zack had come up with had almost gotten Cloud court-martialed. The only thing that had saved him had been the General's interference.

"I need your help, of course."

"Zack…"

"Oh, come on, Spike! It's for a good cause…" Zack's eyes were wide and intentionally innocent, his voice soft and coaxing.

Cloud was getting a headache. "Do I even dare ask?"

"It's for the General."

Disbelieving silence. "The General asked you to crawl around in the ceiling?"

"Well, no…not exactly."

"Zack…" Cloud tried again, but then footsteps were echoing from around the corner at the end of the hall. Before Cloud could even blink, Zack was leaning down, his strong hands seizing Cloud beneath his arms and jerking him upwards and through the gap in the ceiling tiles.

When the vent cover was safely back in place and the footsteps had faded into the distance, Zack turned to Cloud, his mako-bright eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Thanks."

"For what?" Cloud whispered, a knife's edge honing his words. "I don't want anything to do with this!"

"Aw, sure you do, Spike."

"No. Really, I don't."

"But…Sephiroth. I just found out, Cloud."

Despite himself, Cloud found his interest growing at the mention of Sephiroth's name and the almost melancholy tone of Zack's voice. But he wasn't going to ask. He wasn't. Cloud ground his teeth together. "What about Sephiroth?"

Cloud could feel the satisfied grin spreading across Zack's face. "Well…" Zack drawled. "Sephiroth's never had a real Christmas before. Never even gotten a present! Can you believe that?"

"Um…" Cloud said.

"I know, right? Anyway, so I wanted to do something for him this year. Something special, so he knows we love him. That _somebody_ loves him." Zack's voice grew quiet, husky. "Will you help me?"

Cloud bit his lip. No Christmas? Life in Nibelheim might have been rough, but even he'd had trees and presents and…his mother. It hadn't occurred to him that Sephiroth, having grown up in ShinRa Corporation, wouldn't have had these things. Cloud took a deep breath. He would do anything for Sephiroth. Even allow himself to be dragged into yet another of Zack's half-cooked conspiracies. "Yeah." He licked his lips. "I'll help."

"Great." There was some shuffling and the clang of something heavy against the metal of the ventilation pipe they were sitting in. There was a click, and the ethereal white light of a small flashlight filled the small space. Zack grinned.

Cloud gulped.

"Sephiroth's office is that way," Zack murmured, pointing over Cloud's shoulder. He fished around in his back pocket for a moment, then held something small up to the light.

Cloud groaned when he saw what it was. It was bubblegum. A small pack of strawberry bubblegum wound around with a bright blue ribbon. "_That's_ your gift for the General?"

"The first one, anyway. There's gonna be twelve, one each day 'til Christmas. I'm trying to give him things he's never had before. Good things. Some that he can use; some he's just missing. All of 'em things he deserves. We're starting with the smallest."

Cloud squinted and looked closer. There was a tiny slip of paper attached to the gum. "What's the note say?"

Zack smiled smugly. "Don't ask, just blow."

Cloud groaned. The General was going to murder them. "And what do you need me for?"

"Seph's not in his office right now, so we can deliver this now. But I'm too big to fit through the vent in there, so I need you to drop down and stick this on his desk."

"Let me get this straight. You want me to break into the General's office, _mess_ with his _desk_, and leave him notes with insulting, even suggestive messages?"

"Yup."

"All right." Cloud sighed and held out his hand. For Sephiroth. He would do this for Sephiroth. And if the General killed him…well, was there any better way to die? He smiled. "Hand it over."

Zack just grinned.

Sephiroth closed the door of his office slowly behind him and stood, silently, just inside the doorway. Someone had been in here. He scanned the room carefully, his eyes missing nothing. But it didn't look any different; nothing was so much as a millimeter out of place. But the air smelled different. Amid the clinical scent of industrial cleaning products was a faint touch of…vanilla and cinnamon?

Sephiroth smiled a small, tight smile. Cloud. No Turks, none of Hojo's sniveling operatives. Not even his secretary with more paperwork for him to look over. Cloud had been in his office. Sephiroth let out an almost soundless sigh of relief. If it had been Zack's scent in the room, he would have been a lot more worried. But Cloud…he would've had a good reason for breaking into Sephiroth's personal space.

Then Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. How in Odin's name had the boy gotten into the room in the first place? He certainly didn't have the skill to pick the lock, or the power to get around it, and the door itself hadn't been tampered with or damaged in any way. And there wasn't anyone else who could have gotten him in…except for Zack.

Images of the last time Cloud had been involved in Zack's scheming flashed through Sephiroth's head, and he closed his eyes against the memories. That had been close. Cloud had actually been caught in Captain Johansson's bedroom, shirtless and drenched in sweat, bracing himself above the naked body of the Captain's wife. Sephiroth groaned. Of course, despite what it had looked like, Cloud and Zack had actually been helping the woman escape the apartment of her abusive husband, and the Captain had eventually been dishonorably discharged and Cloud cleared of all charges, but still...it had been close.

Trepidation flaring in his stomach despite his cool, collected appearance, Sephiroth strode across the room to his desk and settled himself determinedly in the leather chair. Whatever Cloud had been doing in his office, he didn't want to know. Sighing and brushing a strand of silver hair from his eyes, Sephiroth reached for the stack of hated paperwork that was always waiting for him. He glanced at the surface of his desk, searching absently for a pen, but there wasn't one.

Suppressing an irritated growl, Sephiroth pulled back the drawer to his left, but when he stuck his hand inside, his fingers encountered something smooth, rectangular, and… Sephiroth frowned. …slightly squishy. So this was what Cloud had been doing in his office. He pulled the object out.

And stared. It was a blindingly pink package scrawled with green lettering and wrapped with a blue ribbon tied into a crude bow. Sephiroth arched an elegant eyebrow as he untied the ribbon and set it aside with the note. He read the lettering on the little package. _Bubblegum?_

Brows furrowing in confusion, Sephiroth flipped the note over and studied Zackary's messy scrawl. _Don't ask, just blow._

Sephiroth growled. He was going to murder them both. Yes. That was exactly what he was going to do. But the fingers of his left hand toyed with the smooth material of the bubblegum package, ripping the seal even as red images of his slashed and bleeding boys danced through his mind.

And as he popped the first piece of chewy, tart-sweet gum into his mouth, he smiled a small, tight smile. He knew he'd just gotten his first Christmas present.


	2. Day Two:  Spin

Twelve Days 'til Christmas  
Day Two: Spin

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Sephiroth drummed his fingers on his desk and stared at the "gift" sitting in front of him. The second present he'd received in two days. Only, he wasn't quite sure what this one was. There was no note with this one, not even a simple signature on the box. Sephiroth had actually been afraid to open it, considering the size of the package his secretary had lugged—panting—into the room earlier in the morning. Not taking his eyes off his present, which was nestled quite innocently amid packing peanuts in a huge cardboard box, Sephiroth pressed the call button on his intercom.

"Yes, General?" The secretary responded promptly, his voice crackling somewhat clearly into the room. _Oh the wonders of modern technology._

Shaking his head, Sephiroth pushed the button again. "Locate Cloud Strife for me."

Another crackle. "What was that, Sir?"

"Cloud. Strife." Sephiroth almost growled. "Find him. And bring him to me."

"Find who?"

Sephiroth gritted his teeth. He wouldn't yell. It wasn't Brody's fault that the intercom system Shinra had provided for him was practically an antique. "Strife. Cadet Cloud Strife."

There was a long pause. And then finally…another crackle. "Yes, Sir. It'll just be a moment."

Sephiroth sat in silence for a few minutes, wondering idly as he stared at the box on the corner of his desk whether Cloud would be sent to Sephiroth's office or to his own execution. All in all it was a pretty good tossup.

At long last, however, the door opened and Cloud did indeed walk in, closing the door quietly behind him and almost leaning back against it. He stared at Sephiroth for a moment before clearing his throat. "You sent for me…sir?"

Sephiroth leaned forward in his chair. "Tell me, Cloud. Has Lieutenant Fair completely lost his mind?"

Cloud blinked. "Well…yes, sir. I've always thought so."

Sephiroth cocked an eyebrow and leaned back a little. That wasn't quite the answer he'd been expecting. "He's insane?"

Cloud nodded.

"Ah. Well then, I guess that explains this." Sephiroth waved a hand at the open box.

Cloud's eyes were wide as he stepped further into the room to examine the box, but as he stood just before the General's desk and stared down Sephiroth's present, he slowly, ever so slowly, shook his head.

Sephiroth sighed. He'd learned over the past several months that Strife was a very special kid. He seemed to know everything and nothing all at once, and you could never quite know which it was at any given time. Cloud was a mystery, an intriguing puzzle that Sephiroth desperately wanted to solve. Only he wasn't quite sure it was possible to fully figure out Cloud Strife. He leaned forward again, capturing Cloud's eyes with his own. "Zack's being insane doesn't explain this gift?"

"No." Cloud looked down. "It's from both of us, and…it was my idea."

"And the packaging?"

Cloud threw his hands up as he looked back up, his eyes wide and starkly blue. "That was all Zack."

"What a surprise." Sephiroth stared at the box, and then he looked at Cloud. Finally, he shrugged and rose to his feet, walking around the desk to stand beside Cloud. "All right, cadet. I know for a fact that you, at least, are fairly sane. So…what is this thing?"

Almost reverently, Cloud lifted it from the box and held it up so Sephiroth could see it better.

Sephiroth examined it. It was a round disk, apparently composed of two halves held together by a slim metal rod, and it was bright red in color. He looked back at Cloud, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"It's a yoyo, sir."

"A yo…yo?"

"Yeah. It's a toy. Watch."

Sephiroth watched, fascinated, as Cloud slipped a small loop of string over his middle finger and sent the disks spinning down toward the floor before snapping them back up into his hand. He sent them flying down again, repeating this move several times before flinging the yoyo into a wide arch and then pulling it back into his palm with a stinging slap.

Cloud held the disks out to Sephiroth. "Here. You try."

Gingerly, Sephiroth took the toy and slipped the loop of string over the middle finger of his left hand, as he'd seen Cloud do. He glanced uncertainly at Cloud, feeling truly awkward for the first time in years. Shaking his head, he sent the toy spinning down to the end of the string, but when he tried to call it up again, it refused to move, hanging limply a couple of inches above the ground. Sephiroth's cheeks burned with embarrassment as he tried, again, to snap the disks back up into his hand.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Cloud murmured, taking Sephiroth's hand and pulling the string from Sephiroth's finger. "Nobody gets it the first time."

"But I…"

Cloud shook his head as he wound the string back around the yoyo disks. He handed the yoyo back to Sephiroth. "Try again. You just need to pop it a little, right before it gets to the end of the string."

His eyes dark and serious, Sephiroth slipped the loop back over his finger and took a firm grip on the yoyo. Then, taking a deep breath, he released it, pulling up on his hand with a little jerk just as the disk reached the end of its slack.

The yoyo spun back up into his hand in a blur of red.

Sephiroth smiled, embarrassment, technological failures, and even paperwork forgotten for the moment. No wonder people played with these things.

"That's great!" Cloud grinned back at him, picking up the box and heading for the door. "I'd better get back to class."

"Hey, Cloud!" Sephiroth called just before the boy closed the door behind him.

Cloud stuck his head back through the door. "Sir?"

Sephiroth smiled again as he snapped the yoyo up and down, up and down. "Thanks for the gift."

Cloud only shrugged, his eyes gleaming slightly in the light. "Hey, General?"

"Yes?"

Cloud grinned. "Only ten more days 'til Christmas."


	3. Day Three:  Pop

Twelve Days 'til Christmas  
Day Three: Pop

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Biting down on his tongue, Zack shifted the box he was carrying into one hand, balancing it delicately on his hip as he knocked on the door to Sephiroth's office. "Hey, Seph!" he called out, "Can I come in?"

He winced as a loud pop sounded from behind the door. Whatever Seph was doing in there, it couldn't be good. Zack put his ear up to the door. "Seph?"

There was another pop. Then… "Come in, Zackary. But you'll have to open the door yourself. I'm busy."

Zack rolled his eyes. Like that was something new. Grunting slightly, he shifted to the side and turned the door knob, leaning against the door to push it open. Carefully. He did _not _want to drop this box. _That would be a good 200 gil down the drain. Not to mention walking all this way with this damned…heavy…box. _The door flew open all at once, and Zack stumbled backward into the room, clutching at the box as he struggled to catch his balance. When he finally managed to steady himself, he straightened his back, knelt down, and set the box carefully on the floor.

_Pop. _

Zack leaned back on his knees, cocking an eyebrow at the loud shredding sound that followed the popping noise. Slowly, he turned around to face Sephiroth. Zack stared. Blinked. Sat down on the floor with a soft thump. The Great General Sephiroth was leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk, popping strawberry bubblegum and shredding presumably important paperwork. "Huh." Zack grunted. "Guess those Christmas presents are doing their job right."

Sephiroth popped another bubble and threw the shredded remains of the report he was supposed to be reviewing in Zack's general direction. He glanced at Zack. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh." Zack folded his legs under him and picked up a rough square of shredded paper. He started folding it idly.

Sephiroth stared down at Zack through the V in his boots, formed by his crossed feet. The younger man was humming softly to himself, staring down at the floor as his hands moved over the paper, looking quick and skilled even as they created seemingly random folds in the typewritten sheet. Sephiroth smiled. There was something interesting about Zack. He was loud and inconsiderate, brash and even uncontrolled. He was, in short, Cloud Strife's complete and total opposite, but there was still something about him that intrigued Sephiroth. Zack was…well, Zack was insane. _But in a good way, I suppose. _Sephiroth sighed and balled up another piece of paper before chucking it at Zack's head.

Zack looked up. "Huh?"

"What are you doing?"

Zack held up the sheet of paper, which was now a mess of folded creases. "Folding paper."

"Uh huh." Sephiroth watched as Zack went back to his paper-folding. "What's in the box, Fair?"

Zack shrugged. "Guess you'll have to open it and see."

Sighing again, Sephiroth shifted in his chair, setting his legs back on the floor and leaning forward to examine the box sitting halfway across his office. It was big and seemed to actually be heavy this time. And it was wrapped in tasteful green paper. _Cloud's doing, no doubt. _Sephiroth leaned back. He tapped a finger on the arm of his chair. "Zack."

Zack didn't even look up. "Yeah, boss man?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Zack just continued folding.

Not entirely certain what that meant—Zack was _never _silent—Sephiroth chewed his gum for a minute and idly blew another bubble, smiling with satisfaction when it burst with a loud pop. This gum stuff was pretty good. He wasn't much on the flavor, but the bubbles were nice. Kind of an instant stress relief. He could always imagine someone's brainless head exploding with just that sound. He stared at the stack of papers on his desk, wishing they would explode as easily. _A secretary and two assistants and somehow I'm still stuck with hours upon hours of paperwork. How am I supposed to actually get anything done around here if I'm always stuck behind a desk? _Sephiroth glanced at Zack again. Zackary Fair was staring up at him now, smiling sneakily with one hand clutched into a loose fist in his lap. Sephiroth closed his eyes, wondering if he would ever understand this kid. _Probably not. _He opened his eyes again. "So?"

Zack's smile turned into a grin. He didn't say what he wanted to say. There wasn't any point in it. Instead, he pulled himself to his feet, walked around Sephiroth's desk, and pressed the paper into the General's hand. Then he leaned down, kissed Sephiroth on the cheek, and skittered away before the General had a chance to react, making sure to kick the lid off the box on his way out of the room.

Sephiroth stared down at his open palm, confused and slightly awed, as the door slammed shut. It was a bunny. A messy, slightly crumpled white paper bunny speckled with black, typewritten letters. Sephiroth raised his other hand to his cheek and wiped away a bit of moisture left from Zack's lips. _Why a bunny? _Unable to answer his own question—questions—he looked up at the open box across the room.

He laughed. For the first time in years, Sephiroth really, truly laughed.

Inside the box was a paper shredder.

Rising to his feet, Sephiroth set the bunny down on the corner of his desk and knelt in front of the box. Popping a huge bubble with the middle finger of his right hand, he sucked the gum back into his mouth and picked up the box's lid. He flipped it over. Written inside in small, neat handwriting Sephiroth instantly recognized as Cloud's were two words: _Nine days._

_Yes, _Sephiroth thought to himself, tossing the lid to the side and pulling the shredder from its box. _Nine days until Christmas. _But he wondered, as he made his way back to his desk to plug in his latest gift from Zack and Cloud, what the message really meant.


	4. Day Four:  Blush

Twelve Days 'til Christmas

Part Four: Blush

**A/N: **For anyone who read this story before this chapter was reposted, **the chocobos Draugr and Skadi did not belong to me. **At the time I originally wrote this chapter, I was under the impression that they were canonical Square Enix creations. However, they were actually created by an amazing writer by the name of Ciceqi. You can find her on livejournal, and you really should. Her stuff's awesome. Anyway, Ciceqi's chocobos are no longer featured in this fic, and I apologize to all for the confusion.

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"You _are!" _

Cloud blushed. "I am _not!" _

"Don't lie to me, Spikey! I can tell you are!"

"Oh, you can, can you? But who's the one who's been making him little paper bunny rabbits?"

"Hey!" It was Zack's turn to blush. "That was purely a friendship thing!"

"You kissed him!"

"On the cheek!"

"Doesn't matter, Zack! A kiss is a kiss, and you definitely kissed him!"

"How do you know? You weren't even there!"

"And who was it that showed me how to get to the vent in the ceiling?"

Zack gasped. "You were _spying _on him?"

"No!" Cloud was indignant. "I was spying on _you!" _

"I can't believe you were spying on him—"

"I can't believe you were _kissing _him—"

They both finished their sentences at the same time, "—when I'm the one who…" They trailed off at the same time as well, staring at one another, faces flushed and sheepish.

Zack cleared his throat, running a hand through his unruly hair. "So you…"

Cloud bit his lip. "Yeah. And you?"

"Yeah." Zack nodded. They stared at one another warily for a few minutes, neither one of them exactly sure what to do or say. They couldn't exactly battle it out, after all. It was no contest who would win in a brawl or a duel, and the only one they had to judge any sort of intellectual contest was Sephiroth himself, and that obviously wasn't possible at the moment, considering. Zack coughed. "So…what should we do?"

Cloud gave a helpless shrug. "Set up present number four?"

"Yeah…okay," Zack nodded, his face still red.

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Sephiroth popped a bubble and leaned back against the wall that had kept him safely hidden from Zack and Cloud's view. This was his last piece of gum, and he definitely needed it right now. He'd only learned one thing from that entire conversation—Cloud had been spying on him the previous day. The boy had definitely been spending too much time with Zack.

But as for the rest of the conversation…he hadn't meant to overhear it. He'd just been on the grounds, after all, walking past the walled off practice arena on his way to the stables to saddle Kaedryn. Zack and Cloud had apparently been out on the practice field, for some reason, and he'd caught the tail end of their conversation. It hadn't been intentional, but it had certainly been interesting. If confusing. And he didn't feel _too _bad. After all, Cloud had been spying on _him. _Still, the rest of it obviously meant _something, _and he knew it involved him. He just couldn't figure out how.Or _what. _Come to think of it, Sephiroth wasn't entirely certain that _they'd_ known what they were talking about.

Sephiroth continued walking, blowing another bubble as he made his way over to the stables in which the chocobos were kept. It didn't really matter. He would figure it out eventually. He always did. Until then he'd chalk it up to something Zack must be responsible for. The grounds were practically abandoned right now, with most of the trainees off on overnight expeditions and the remaining classes—except for Cloud, evidently—studying indoors. There wasn't much going on outside. There were a few sentries, and a couple of off duty Soldiers prowling around, but, for the most part, Sephiroth was alone.

He preferred it that way. He scowled as he drew close to the stables. There were people inside. He could hear them talking. It was a pity, really. He would rather they'd been empty. The chocobos didn't need 24/7 tending, after all, so there wasn't an attendant on hand every moment of the day, especially since all Soldiers were capable of saddling their own mounts, and a lot of the chocobos were out right now anyway, patrolling with their riders. Sephiroth sighed. This was obviously not this day. But as he drew up to the shadowed doorway of the stable, his scowl turned to an expression of curiosity. He knew those voices. It was Cloud and Zack again. Somehow, he felt, he should have expected that.

Sephiroth poked his head through the doorway at the sound of Kaedryn's indignant squawk.

"Whose bright idea was this, anyway?!" Zack was standing at the door of Kaedryn's stall, sticking his arm inside for the chocobo's inspection. Kaedryn, a gloriously vain black chocobo, was obviously quite offended by this intrusion into his personal domain.

Cloud sounded smug. "Yours."

"Yeah, well…how was I supposed to know he was a demon?!"

Cloud laughed. "Come on, Zack! Kaedryn is _General Sephiroth's_ chocobo. Did you really expect him to act like a duckling?"

"Well…no…but Jaena's no princess, and she likes me just fine!"

"That's because she's _your _chocobo!"

Sephiroth stood in the doorway, watching from a distance. He wasn't sure whether he felt more angry, confused, or intrigued about the whole situation. What in the name of the Cetra were Cloud Strife and Zackary Fair planning to do to his mount?

"Even so…" Zack stuck his arm farther into the stall, wishing hopefully that Kaedryn would come closer, get his scent, and decide he wasn't so bad after all. But the chocobo only snapped at him, his closing viciously just as Zack pulled his hand back, glaring ruefully at the bird and muttering to himself.

Cloud cleared his throat. "Zack…are you sure this is such a good idea? I mean…Sephiroth might not even _want _us messing with Kaedryn."

Zack scoffed. "Like anyone can mess with a chocobo. They're too damn smart for that kind of shit. We're just…making improvements."

Cloud bit his lip. "Yeah, but…what if the General doesn't _want _any improvements? I mean…this isn't exactly the same as dropping off silly little gifts in his office. This is personal."

"Well, shit, Spike! Of course it's personal! This is Christmas. It's _supposed _to be personal!"

"That's not what I meant, Zack! The whole point of this is to make him happy, not to make him mad, and this…" He gestured at a stack of…of something Sephiroth couldn't quite see. "It could be seen as an insult."

Zack glared. "How?"

"Well," Cloud licked his lips. "What if he thinks we're saying that what he has right now isn't good enough? Or…what if he thinks _we _think his ego's so pumped up that he thinks the stuff everyone else has isn't good enough for him? Or…what if he thinks we're trying to suck up?"

Zack continued to glare as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Why didn't you mention any of this before?"

"I didn't think about it before! The whole thing seemed like a great idea! But…" Cloud bit his lip. "We can't even get Kaedryn to come to the door and…I just don't know. I…I just want him to be happy."

"Yeah." Zack ran a hand through his hair. "Me too."

"Here," Cloud slid down from the stack of crates he'd been perching on. "Let me try."

Sephiroth stepped through the doorway, watching from the shadows, intrigued, as Cloud slid his hand over the edge of the rather low stall door. Kaedryn didn't squawk this time. He snorted slightly and scratched savagely at the ground by the sound of it, but Cloud didn't get intimidated as most people would have. Kaedryn seemed to like the innocent calm that hung around Cloud better than he liked Zack's brash confidence. He probably thought Zack _needed _to be taken down a rung or two. Sephiroth practically held his breath as Cloud and Kaedryn practically faced off against one another. He knew better than anyone just how intelligent the beast was and how vicious he could be. Cloud could get seriously hurt, but…no. Finally, Kaedryn snorted again and stepped forward to sniff at Cloud's outstretched hand.

Cloud smiled. "See, Kaedryn. I'm not so bad. I'm definitely not the General, but I'm not stupid enough to try riding you. I just want to do something for the both of you. Will you let me in for a minute?"

Kaedryn snorted again and stepped back from the door.

Flipping the latch back, Cloud pulled the door open and stepped inside, extending his arm out once again. Kaedryn sniffed, and Sephiroth smiled. The boy was a natural with chocobos, even finicky ones who would only accept a single rider, like Kaedryn.

Cloud was running his hand along Kaedryn's neck now, and the chocobo had his eyes half-closed, leaning into the caress. Cloud cleared his throat. "All right, Zack. Hand me the equipment."

Zack passed over a saddle blanket, a soft black with silver trim around the edges, and, when Cloud had settled it into place over Kaedryn's back, he handed over a saddle, a deep, glisteningly black saddle of tough, expensive leather. It had silver tooling and buckles, and it was an incredible piece of work, obviously designed with Kaedryn in mind. Sephiroth swallowed down the lump that threatened to rise in his throat. It was beautiful, and it suited the two of them much better than the drab, Shinra-issue equipment they'd been using. He walked silently through the stable, making his way past the other stalls and over to Kaedryn's as Cloud cinched the saddle and halter into place. He stopped just behind Zack and cleared his throat. "Thank you," he murmured. "I _do _like it."

"Sir!" "Seph!" Cloud and Zack sputtered in unison, spinning around to face the General. Zack coughed. "We didn't expect you to get here quite so soon."

Sephiroth nodded. He examined the impeccable cut of the halter's leather before casting a glance at Cloud. "No. I don't feel insulted in the least, cadet."

Zack and Cloud both blushed a furious red, but it was Cloud who finally looked up, a muted gleam in his eyes. "Only eight more days 'til Christmas."


	5. Day Five: Click

Twelve Days 'til Christmas  
Day Five: Click

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"It was my idea, Zack!"

"So?"

"So? You asshole!_ So_, I should get to give it to him."

"You gave him the last one."

"I did not! We gave him the last one together."

"Yeah, but…it was still you. I mean, we wouldn't have had a gift for him at all if you hadn't been able to tame Kaedryn like that…"

"Exactly! You should be grateful to me for saving your bastard ass like that, not trying to cheat me out of what little bit of time I might get to spend with him!"

Sephiroth cleared his throat and stepped into the wide hallway, a hallway that seemed much smaller with Zack and Cloud standing close like that, fists clenched, teeth gritted, and eyes blazing. Zack he could understand…but what had gotten into Cloud? He'd never heard the boy talk like that to anyone, much less to _Zack. _

"_Fuck, _Cloud. You're not the only one who—"

Sephiroth cleared his throat again and stepped forward for good measure, grabbing Zack by the hair and pulling back and down.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Zack hissed, clamping a hand down on Sephiroth's wrist. "Who the fuck—" He looked up then, and his eyes met Sephiroth's. He snapped his mouth closed. Opened it again. Cleared _his _throat. "Hi, Seph. General. Sir."

Sephiroth tightened his grip on Zack's hair and cocked his head to the side. "What is going on here?"

Zack winced. "Umm…just a little…" he winced again. "…friendly argument. Sir."

Sephiroth looked at Cloud, who nodded solemnly. He looked…satisfied, somehow. Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow and released his grip on Zack's hair, noting the brief look of—regret? annoyance?—that flickered across Cloud's face. _Interesting. _There was rivalry here. But over what…him? Sephiroth frowned. Why? He glanced back and forth between them as Zack rubbed a rueful hand over the back of his head. Finally, he spoke. "So…this is about my gift?"

Zack and Cloud shared a shifty look.

So. They were still united against a common…enemy. As it were. Sephiroth shrugged and wiped his hand on the leather of his coat, as if to wipe away the feel of Zack's hair. "I assume there is one, by the way the two of you were…speaking."

No answer.

Sephiroth didn't move, didn't blink. He only waited.

It was Zack who cracked first.

_Also interesting, _Sephiroth noted.

Zack shifted his weight from one leg to the other and grinned up at Sephiroth. "Yeah, we've got another gift for you, boss man."

"And another one tomorrow?"

Cloud nodded this time.

"And the day after that?" It was statement, not question.

They both glared.

"Fine," Sephiroth said, amusement gleaming behind his eyes. "But why don't you both give it to me? Save yourselves the trouble of arguing?"

Cloud's eyes widened slightly.

Zack nearly choked. He _did _break into a violent fit of coughing. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, not exactly sure what the joke was, but Zack straightened up then and waved a hand at Cloud. "Go on, Cloudy," he rasped. "Give it to him."

Cloud nodded and reached into a pocket. He felt around for a while. Frowned. Checked the other pocket. "Zack…" his voice trembled, on the edge of panic. "Zack, I…I don't _have _it."

"What do you mean you don't have it?" Zack's brows were furrowed together.

"What I said, Zack. I. Don't. Have. It."

Zack's hands slammed down against his own pockets and his eyes snapped wide. "Ah, _fuck,_" he spat. "If you don't have it and I don't have it…"

Sephiroth glanced down the hall with the other two at the sound of an ominous _click_.

Something black and silver clattered to the floor and a tinny voice echoed down the hallway, bouncing across their ears. "Hey, Seph-baby. I lifted this shiny beauty outta Cloud Strife's pocket. Was all wrapped up in silver and had your name scrawled 'cross it plain as day so I figured, what the hell? I needed to check it out. It's got all kinds of fun features…"

Sephiroth cocked an eyebrow at the words _Seph-baby_ and suppressed a shudder. He knew that voice. He _loathed _that voice. He growled. "Reno."

"Yeah, so anyway I hadn't heard much from you lately and I just thought I should try to get in touch, see what's shakin'. Your ass looks as hot as ever by the way. You should give me a call some time, babe."

Sephiroth closed his eyes and swallowed hard. _Reno. Fucking. Reno. Sinclaire. _And the damn machine was ten yards down the hall. Sephiroth chanced a glance at Zack and Cloud. They were both staring at the machine in open-mouthed shock. Or fascination, Sephiroth wasn't sure which. It was probably that comment about his ass that had done it.

Sephiroth opened his mouth to tell Cloud to shut the damn thing off, but the tape just kept rolling, cutting him off before he began. "Oh, that reminds me. There's something you should know about your little Soldier buddy Zack and his trinket friend Strife. They've both got the ho—"

Cloud and Zack moved as one—eyes dilating with panic, limbs flinging into motion. They launched themselves forward in a mad scramble for the tiny block of black and silver and wrestled with it, each trying to be the one to pop what Sephiroth assumed must be the off switch.

Finally, there was silence but for the sound of their heavy breathing.

Sephiroth breathed too—quietly, calmly. He refused to shift, refused to move. "So," he almost-whispered into the stark absence of sound. He wouldn't ask them what Reno was about to say (about this whole Christmas thing, he presumed) if they didn't ask him about what Reno _had _said. "About my gift?"

"Yeah…" Zack let out a long breath and shoved himself to his feet. He held an arm out to Cloud, who took it gingerly and pulled himself to his feet.

Sephiroth sighed. _Well, at least they aren't fighting anymore._

"Yeah, so…" Zack and Cloud picked their way back over to him, Cloud walking behind Zack and fiddling with the little machine. Sephiroth heard a tiny electronic voice mutter, "Message erased," just before Cloud's sigh of relief. "So, uh…" Zack cleared his throat. "This is what we've got for you today."

Cloud held it out, and Sephiroth took it, staring down at it dubiously. "And it's…"

"A handheld tape recorder, sir. For your reports." Cloud bit his lip. "So you don't have to write them all out by hand. You can speak your piece and then your secretary can do the writing part. It'll…" Cloud hesitated. "…save a lot of time."

Sephiroth stared down at the tiny configuration of black metal and silver buttons in his hand. A tape recorder. For his paperwork. He shook his head. In all the time he'd been responsible for that fucking paperwork, he'd never come up with a solution like this. So simple. Elegant. Even if Reno _had _gotten his sticky little fingers on it. Sephiroth looked at Cloud, at Zack. He smiled, a soft, perhaps even slightly sheepish smile. "Thank you," he said.

Cloud grinned.

So did Zack.

They both spoke at the same time. "Oh, it was _nothing—_" "Really, sir, it wasn't…"

They broke off, glaring at each other from the corners of their eyes.

Sephiroth held up a hand. Locked them both with a stolid stare. "Thank you _both,_" he enunciated.

"Uhh, yeah. Sure thing." Zack ran a hand through his hair.

Cloud just nodded.

Sephiroth smiled again and tucked the tape recorder into his own pocket. They wouldn't ask about Reno. They wouldn't _dare. _He turned to go back to his office, looked over his shoulder for a brief second. "And boys?"

They looked back, silent.

Sephiroth grinned slyly. "Only seven days left to go."


	6. Day Six: Glow

Twelve Days 'til Christmas  
Day Six: Glow

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So…Sephiroth and…Reno?"

Zack shook his head. "No. Can't be."

"But…Zack…"

"I _know _what it sounded like, Cloud. But it can't be. I mean," Zack tugged at a stray strand of black hair. "Sure, he's a great friend and all. But...Reno? And the _General?_ No way that can be what that whole mess meant."

Cloud nodded, but he didn't look convinced. "But…Zack...what if it is?"

Zack opened his mouth, his eyes practically blazing green. Then, his shoulders slumped and he sagged down against his dorm room's cinderblock wall. "If it is, I…" Zack sighed. "I don't know."

"Zack, I…"

"I know. You worship the ground he walks on."

"No," Cloud shook his head. "Maybe it was like that in the beginning, a few months ago. But I _know _him now. It's not hero worship." He smiled. "I save all that for you."

Zack grinned, but it was half-hearted, weak. His eyes were cold around the edges. "You sure, Cloudy?"

Cloud nodded, solemn. "Zack, you're my best friend, the first real friend I ever had, but…"

"I know," Zack smiled. "I'd be disappointed in you if you weren't gonna fight."

Cloud slid out of his chair and sat down next to Zack, leaning his back gingerly against the wall. He put one hand on Zack's knee and squeezed slightly, his fingers just pressing into the skin beneath the shell of Zack's pants. "So what are we going to do?"

Zack shook his head. "Normally I'd say we try the 'may the best man win' approach, but…"

"If the whole Reno thing is true, then fighting against each other will just hold us back."

"Right," Zack said. He scowled and settled his hand over Cloud's, lacing their fingers together. "So we take care of Reno…and then battle it out?"

Cloud frowned. "Like a truce?"

"Yeah, just like that. Just until we get rid of the redhead. He's no good for Seph anyway, the conniving little slut."

"How do we get rid of Reno?"

"Well…" Zack's brow furrowed and he tightened his grip on Cloud's hand, thinking hard. "We've got to take Seph's mind off him. Make him think about us instead. One or the other of us, anyway."

"So…" Cloud's frown deepened, and a crease appeared between his eyebrows. "What if we up the ante on the gifts? Make them sexier, more suggestive. No more bubblegum and yoyos, huh?"

Zack was silent for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. "That might work. What gift have we got up for today anyway?"

"Those cookies we made yesterday. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, those won't work. Not too many people consider homemade cookies sexy. That's more like…domestic."

"Taste good, though. Hmm…" Cloud bit his lip and leaned in against Zack's side, waiting for Zack's arm to come up and around him so he could burrow himself into his customary spot on Zack's shoulder. "Massage oil?"

"Ooh, I like that. We could offer to rub him down, get rid of some of that stress."

Cloud smiled at that thought, bit down harder on his lip. Shifted slightly on the floor. "Yeah, I could… Wait." Cloud's eyes widened into a look of horror. "We can't get him massage oil."

"Why not?" Zack was indignant, like the idea had been _his _and not Cloud's. "It's a brilliant idea. Just think what it would mean if he said yes!"

"Yeah, but…Reno."

"What about Reno?"

"If he and the General are…if they're…" Cloud growled. "What if he decides to use the oil with _Reno?_"

The terror in Zack's silence said it all.

"Zack?" Cloud whispered.

Zack sighed. "You're right, man. No massage oil. It's gotta be something we know he's gonna be alone for."

"But something that'll still make him think of us."

"Yeah…" Zack's eyes lit up with tongues of blue-violet flame. "I got it, Cloudy. It's brilliant. The perfect move."

Cloud shot Zack a skeptical look. "You sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm fucking sure! Just hear me out, all right?"

"All right," said Cloud. "I'm listening."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sephiroth leaned against the wall outside his apartment door and listened to the noises coming from within. He'd been worried at first, after that…message….from Reno. He definitely hadn't wanted to deal with that fiasco today, not after the day he'd had. Monsters, accidents, day patrols… Sephiroth was bone tired. Weary. And the last thing he wanted to deal with was a horny Reno Sinclair. But then he'd heard something fall somewhere in the depths of his rooms, and he'd recognized the yelp of pain that had followed it. Zack. And where there was Zack…

"Cloud! You're not supposed to set _me_ on fire, you little runt!"

"Well then keep your hands out of the way, jackass! You _know _what I'm trying to do. It's not exactly rocket science, Zack."

"Maybe it _should_ be, with the way you're waving that thing at me like I'm a bleeding fuse!"

Sephiroth shook his head at the stream of curses that followed, tossed from one man to another and back again like a rubber ball. They just didn't stop these days. He was tempted to burst through the door just to break up the fight—he was half-terrified of what they might be doing to his apartment—but he'd decided to leave them alone and let them get the job done. Their little games and gifts were harmless—well, mostly harmless—and they seemed to be having fun, for the most part. And everything they'd given him thus far had proven useful in one way or another.

Sephiroth pulled the red yoyo from his pocket and slipped the loop over his finger idly. He swished the yoyo down to the floor and then jerked it back up again. He snapped it down again, swung it up into an arc and then caught it in the middle, twisting it over one finger and then another, creating a triangle with the red disk swinging, spinning, in the middle like a bright pendulum. Sephiroth smiled. He cocked his head to the side.

The voices were muffled.

"There. How about that?" Zack's voice, round with a pleased edge.

"No." Cloud this time, a frown tinting the edges of his words a cold gray. "It needs more."

"More?" Exasperation and a touch of anger.

"Yes, more! Everything we want depends on this, Zack! It has to be right."

"Don't you think I know that?" Zack's teeth were gritted, his fists probably clenched. "We're in this _together, _remember?"

"Only until we get this mess straightened out." Fire caged by ice.

Sephiroth frowned, wondering if he shouldn't break into the middle of this after all. Something had to be seriously wrong for the two of them to be fighting like that. Again.

But then Zack spoke again. "Okay, Cloud. What do you suggest? Because…as it stands…it looks like we might both lose whatever chance we might have. Reno…"

Silence. Then…

"I'm sorry, Zack. I didn't mean…"

"I know. Just…help me fix this, okay?"

Another silence. And, "Sure. Move these over here. Changes the shadows and gives the whole thing more direction—see? Oh, and add a little more to that water. Yeah, just like that."

"Perfect."

Silence again, and then footsteps.

Sephiroth stuffed the yoyo back into his pocket and backed down the hall a bit, ducking into the shadows of a darkened side corridor. He couldn't ruin their little surprise by letting them know he'd been privy to their little setup. He couldn't see the door anymore, but he heard it open and then close again, heard the beep as the automatic locks clicked back into place, heard their footsteps echo as they walked down the hall in silence. Tense. Waiting. Finally, Sephiroth stepped back out into the hall and up to his door. He punched in his access code and pushed the door open, peering into the darkness of his apartment.

It wasn't completely dark though. There were candles, not many, but a few, lighting a flickering path to…

The bathroom?

Sephiroth shook his head and closed the door behind him, pressing a button on the wall to slide the locks into place. He followed the line of candles into the bathroom.

Sephiroth laughed.

There were more candles in here, piled around a steaming tub full of…bubble bath? Yes, it was indeed bubble bath.

Sephiroth's eyes turned to the counter and the candles that glowed softly in the corners. There was a note, just to the left of the sink on top of an open metal Christmas tin filled with what appeared to be cookies. Sephiroth picked the note up and flicked it open gently, reading in the soft light of the candles.

_Seph,_

_We figured you could use a little relaxation. Everyone's gotta unwind a little now and again. Even you, boss man. So take a breather, take a soak, and remember that we care about you. Oh, yeah, and Cloud and I baked those cookies just for you. But don't worry. I let him mix the ingredients. _

_Much love,_

_Zack and Cloud_

Sephiroth snorted and tossed the note back onto the counter. So that was their little game, the reason for their arguments. It seemed obvious, now that he thought about it. Zack and Cloud wanted him. Zack and Cloud _both _wanted him. That was what had caused the tension between them in the first place, but now…

The situation with Reno had them spooked.

Sephiroth grinned and pulled open the clasps of his coat. He shrugged it off his shoulders and folded it over the edge of the counter before moving on to the rest of his clothes. Finally, naked, he grabbed the tin of cookies and then stepped into his bath, sinking down into the hot water with a satisfied sigh.

He hadn't really thought about Zack or Cloud in any kind of romantic or sexual light before. Well, sex wasn't something that came to his mind often in any case, and Zack and Cloud were young. Zack was two years younger than Reno, and Cloud was two years younger still, putting Sephiroth quite firmly into the role of the older male. Hell, he'd bet his own ass Cloud was a virgin. Maybe even Zack, though that might be pushing it a little.

Still, there was something about them…

And they were so earnest, so sincere. They did care about him. They wouldn't have gone through so much trouble with these little presents of theirs if they didn't. They wouldn't be fighting with one another if they didn't care about him.

Sephiroth smiled again.

There was definitely something he could do here, something he could twist and use to his advantage. Six days. He had six days until Christmas; he was sure they were planning _something_. Six days wasn't long.

But it might be just long enough.


	7. Day Seven: Sketch

**Twelve Days 'til Christmas**  
By S.J. Kohl

Day Seven: Sketch

* * *

Sephiroth punched in a code he wasn't supposed to have and stepped into Rufus Shinra's private apartment, not bothering to knock. He shut the door and reached behind him to where he knew the lock button would be. This apartment wasn't any different from his own, after all, except in Rufus's choice of furniture. Sephiroth glanced around the living room and quirked an eyebrow at the array of tasteful blues, creams, and whites. He would have pictured the younger Shinra as a fan of black, much like himself. Then again, Rufus always was wearing white. Sephiroth shrugged.

The important thing was that the room was empty.

He moved through the room and around the eggshell leather sofa, pausing in the doorway of the single bedroom. Indeed, this was the _exact_ same layout as his apartment. Large central living space, small bedroom and attached bath to the left of the room, kitchen to the back. It was more space than other Soldiers and Shin-Ra employees were given, but it was still small, and there was nothing overly lavish in the apartment. Everything was simple; some of it even looked only moderately expensive, which was surprising as well, but, then again, Rufus Shinra was only fifteen years old.

Said fifteen-year-old was currently lying in bed reading a book, both aware of and unconcerned with Sephiroth's presence. Sephiroth always had admired Rufus for his calm; Rufus Shinra wasn't intimidated by him, unlike every other Shin-Ra lackey Sephiroth came into contact with. It wasn't that he was ignorant or disregardful of Sephiroth's strength, either. He wasn't disrespectful or idiotic in the least. It was more like…he knew he had strengths of his own as well. It made a refreshing change from groveling and shivering. And sucking up. Sephiroth looked down and carefully pared the dirt from beneath one sharp fingernail. "I'm looking for Reno."

"Yes," Rufus nodded, turning to the next page of his book. "He mentioned you might be coming by here."

"He did?" Sephiroth looked up, curious.

"Mm," Rufus nodded again. His voice was low and tightly controlled, but there was steel grinding beneath it. "Something about a date the two of you had planned."

"Not exactly."

Rufus looked up then, and set his book to the side. "If not a date, then what?"

"Well, I _had_ planned for an execution."

Rufus wrinkled his nose. "I'd rather you didn't."

"Attached?"

"Not exactly," Rufus echoed. "But Father would assign me a new bodyguard."

"Ah." Sephiroth crossed his arms over his chest. "He seems to be out of my reach anyway. Why is that?"

"Father sent him out on a mission. Which is why I'm here, rather than somewhere else doing something useful. Or at least entertaining. Like last month when Reno talked the Soldier 3rds into doing that wet tee shirt contest."

Sephiroth decided he was better off having _not_ known about that. He'd bet his ass Zack knew though. Hell, Zack had probably been there. "Do you know when he's coming back?"

Rufus's eyes glittered. "What did he do?"

"He stole from a cadet, tampered with my private property, and made some highly inappropriate, highly public, remarks."

"Well, given history…"

Sephiroth snorted. "Don't talk to me about history. Just tell him he'd better come see me as soon as he gets back unless he wants his balls twisted off and sent off to the executive golf course."

Rufus laughed. "He'll be back tomorrow."

Sephiroth nodded and turned back to the doorway.

"General."

Sephiroth looked back at Rufus and watched as the young man dug something out from beneath the pillow on the other side of the bed and tossed it to him. It squished slightly as he caught it.

"I hear you've got a new addiction."

Bubblicious--Berry-Lickin' Blue this time. Sephiroth smiled to himself as he tucked the pack into his pocket and stepped back into the living room.

* * *

Zack hovered, stared. Hovered some more. "You finished yet?"

"No, Zack! For the thousandth time, no, I am _not_ finished!" Cloud sighed in exasperation and twisted a dial thoughtfully to the right.

"All right, all right! Sheesh," Zack pulled back a step and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "You don't have to get snippy."

"Yes, I do. You won't leave me alone otherwise, and this is hard enough to get right without you practically drooling on my shoulder." Cloud's tongue slipped out, poised at the corner of his mouth. He twisted the other dial slightly--just slightly--to the left before turning them both at once and holding out the movement for a second. Two. Three. He stopped. Cocked his head to the side. Twisted the dial on the left a little. Back to the right. He stopped again and stared critically for a second. "There," he said, holding it up so Zack could get a good look. "What do you think?"

"Not bad," Zack nodded. "Not exactly sexy or sophisticated, mind you, but I guess it'll do on short notice."

"Well, it's not _my_ fault your idea fell through."

"Hey! It's not my fault either! How was I supposed to know chocobos can't stand the color red?"

"_Everyone_ in Soldier knows that, Zack. It's the reason no one in their right mind besides Genesis goes around wearing red. All of the chocobos know better than to go anywhere near _him,_ but for the rest of us…"

"Yeah, yeah," Zack muttered. "But that doesn't change the fact that it was a good idea."

"Yeah, I guess…wait a second." Cloud looked at Zack over his shoulder. "What was your idea anyway? You never told me."

"Um," Zack shifted his weight to his other foot and took another step back. "It was, uh…I was just going to…"

"You were going to leave me out of it, weren't you?!"

"No, I…" Zack shook his head and held up his hands.

"You _jerk!_" Cloud's hands balled themselves into fists at his sides and he twisted Sephiroth's chair around to face Zack, who was now standing against the back wall of Sephiroth's office. "What happened to 'we're in this together'?!"

"Who said that?"

"_You_ said that!"

"Relax, Cloud, it was just a little gift, just a little something to take his mind off Reno!"

"Yeah, and put it on you," Cloud's voice crackled like the snap of an Ice Two as he stood up and took a step toward Zack. "Was it slinky, Zack? Was it _sexy?_"

"Well…maybe a little…" Zack's eyes gleamed, brightening into a deep glow for just a fraction of a second, and he was laughing, _laughing._

Cloud growled and launched himself forward. "I hope Jaena ripped it to sexy little shreds!" Cloud pulled his fist back and stared hard at the bridge of Zack's nose, focusing on his target. He thrust his arm forward with all the weight he had to bring to bear behind it.

A hand snapped closed around his wrist, jerking him backward and against a solid wall of muscle and leather as a second hand wrapped around his chest, holding him firmly in place. "Cadet Strife," a steel whisper, cool against the blood throbbing in his ears.

Cloud shivered, his eyelids fluttering closed. "Si--" He cleared his throat, shook the fog from his head. "Sir?"

"Physically attacking an officer can get you thrown out of the army."

"Oh, Shiva," Cloud breathed out, his voice nearly silent with dread and panic. Zack _was_ an officer. Zack was an _officer._ No wonder he'd just stood there and let Cloud come after him; it wasn't like he couldn't have smacked Cloud down with both hands tied behind him, after all. But…he hadn't _needed_ to smack Cloud down. All he'd had to do was let Sephiroth do it for him; it was so much more complete and humiliating that way. Cloud sagged in Sephiroth's grip and closed his eyes.

"So," Sephiroth's lips were still a fraction of an inch from his ear, tendrils of breath brushing against Cloud's skin. "That being said..._why_ were you trying to break Zack's face? I assume you know it wouldn't have done you any good."

"I know that," Cloud's eyes snapped open again, and he glared at Zack. "I just wanted the satisfaction of feeling my fist slam into his face, even if I _couldn't_ lay a bruise on him."

"Understood," Sephiroth whispered, tightening his grip across Cloud's chest. "I've wanted that a few times myself. However," he released Cloud, shoving him forward and leaning back against the edge of his desk. "I'd prefer it if you'd restrain yourself in the future or I'll be forced to issue punishment."

"Uh…right. Yes, sir," Cloud muttered as he turned to face Sephiroth, casting a final glare at Zack and rubbing a hand surreptitiously over his wrist.

"Now. Do you have something for me, or am I to understand my gift is currently being digested in the belly of a white chocobo?"

Zack stepped forward and grinned. "Nah, we've got something for ya, Seph. Promised, didn't we?" He stepped around Sephiroth and snatched up Cloud's handiwork from the desk, shoving it into the General's hands.

Sephiroth examined the item. It was a rectangle of bright red plastic surrounding a clear screen. Two white knobs stuck out from the lower fifth of the rectangle, just beneath the screen, one at either corner of the odd-looking contraption. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. There was a picture in the screen--three figures sitting on what had to be some kind of checkered blanket, two of the figures, Zack and Cloud, leaning on the shoulders of the figure in the middle, him. Sephiroth looked up at Zack expectantly.

"Cloud drew the picture," Zack grinned, shrugging. "Not sure how he does it. I could barely figure out how to manage a straight line. Came out pretty good though, didn't it…the three of us?"

Sephiroth made a noncommittal sound and shifted his gaze to Cloud.

"It's an Etch-a-Sketch, sir. You just…draw pictures with it. Here," Cloud stepped up to Sephiroth's side and pointed at the dial on the left. "If you twist this one, you get a horizontal line. The other one makes a vertical. Twist them together and you can makes curves, change directions…pretty much do anything you want to do. When you're finished with one picture, just shake the whole thing up and it'll disappear so you can start a new one."

"Thanks," Sephiroth cast them both an inscrutable look before setting the Etch-a-Sketch back on the desk, careful not to shake it. "I'm sure it'll do wonders for my skills in procrastination. Now, if the two of you will excuse me, I _do_ have a few things I need to finish up before classes start this afternoon. Just…take care not to kill each other before dinner time."

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

"Oh, and Cloud, feel free to use the door. I won't make you crawl back up through the vent."

Cloud blushed and ducked his head. "Umm…thank you. Sir."

Sephiroth waved a hand and reached for the tape recorder he'd stuck on the edge of the desk. "And Zack."

"Sir?" Zack's voice was crisp, attentive.

"You'd do well to hone your skills in teamwork because I expect a gift from the _both_ of you every day until Christmas. You've got five days. Much more of this ridiculous infighting and I might have to rethink my decision to stay Strife's punishment."

Zack's spine snapped up straight and he nodded curtly. "Yes, sir. I'll take care of it."

"See that you do," Sephiroth pulled a piece of bright blue gum from the pack in his pocket and unwrapped it, popping it into his mouth and chewing viciously. He picked up the top packet from the stack of paperwork in his Inbox and scanned the first page, blowing a small, stiff bubble that burst with a loud, satisfying _pop._ Yes, he definitely needed to see Reno. "Now," he muttered, "get out. I don't want to see either of you before tomorrow morning."


	8. Day Eight: Sheen

**Twelve Days 'til Christmas**  
By S.J. Kohl

Day Eight: Sheen

* * *

Sephiroth sank back into the supple leather of the couch and tucked his bare feet in close against his side. He ran his fingers over the bright plastic of the Etch-a-Sketch machine and looked again at the picture inside it. Three men, very much recognizable as the three of them--small, slender Cloud with his big eyes; Zack with his characteristic grin and that one strand of hair that never would fall into place; and him, uniform and all, one arm slung around a shoulder of each of the other men, holding them close. It was quite a good drawing, especially since the entire thing was nothing more than a series of thin lines created by twisting two white plastic knobs. It took a lot of talent to create something like that, a lot of control.

Sephiroth smiled. Cloud would make a damn good Soldier. He knew the importance of using everything you had. And he knew better than to let little things like friendship and rank stand in the way of completing a mission.

Sephiroth chuckled. It was amusing, somehow, being the goal of someone's mission. Cloud was out to get _him;_ so was Zack. The inseparable, unshakable duo were fighting, and they were fighting over him. _Idiots._ It was strange, though, Sephiroth knew, this amusement he felt over the whole situation. He'd always been someone's goal, or someone's means of attaining a goal. Hojo, Shinra, Lazard--they all wanted something from him. They all used him.

Zack and Cloud were different somehow. They wanted something from him, but there was something…sweet…about it. Zack, indomitable and optimistic. And Cloud, innocent and determined. And the way they were going about it…

It was a refreshing change from everything else Sephiroth had to deal with. And the gifts… He'd never gotten gifts before. Now he had several, with more on the way if Zack and Cloud didn't _actually_ manage to kill one another. Sephiroth frowned. What was he supposed to do? Zack…Cloud… He could have either of them, it seemed, but what kind of choice was that? They were both so different. He couldn't just pick one and leave the other out entirely. That would be…

A knock sounded at the door. A quiet knock, but invasive somehow. It wasn't Zack's loud, incessant knock, but it was a knock Sephiroth knew just as well. He sighed and set the Etch-a-Sketch carefully to the side. Then, he flipped up the arm of the couch, pushing one of the buttons on the panel inside.

The lock clicked and a slender, disheveled figure shoved the door wide open and stepped inside, grinning. "Hey, babe," he said, closing the door and leaning back against it, hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Kid told me you were looking for me."

Sephiroth took a deep breath and wished for something to throw. "Reno."

"Seems you remember my name, at least."

Sephiroth cocked an eyebrow. "I could say it again, Turk, if that would please you."

"It's a good name," Reno shrugged and slouched his way over to the couch, plopping down and automatically throwing his feet up on Sephiroth's stainless steel and glass coffee table. "Need to get some use out of it, break it in real nice, ya know?"

Sephiroth just shook his head and uncurled his legs, stretching his feet out on the coffee table to match Reno's. "I got your message," he said, his voice soft, toneless.

"Oh, you got that, huh?"

"You made quite sure of that. You know," Sephiroth paused, flipped the arm of the couch closed again. "There are easier ways of getting my attention."

"Yeah, but I really wanted to play with that little toy, babe. And besides," Reno scowled. "They won't let me into your office anymore; I _can't_ catch you in the halls; you don't answer your door, and you don't return my phone calls. I was starting to run out of options."

"I just didn't think…"

"Ah, fuck your thinking, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth winced inwardly. It was never a good thing when Reno called him by name. Still, at least he wasn't using that too happy, too playful, too nonchalant voice he'd been using on the tape recorder, the one that meant he was pissed as all hell and actually had a right to be. Sephiroth hated that voice. "What _did_ you want to see me for, anyway?"

"Nothing that can't wait a while," Reno shrugged again. "You must want something pretty damn desperately, seeing as you went after Rufus. I warned him you might be coming, but I didn't think you'd actually do it. I didn't do anything _that_ bad, after all. Nothing any worse than any of the other shit I've pulled." He laughed. "Therefore, you must want something from me. But don't worry, babe, my services are at your command. As always." Reno's expression was wry but sincere, only a hint of his usual sarcasm showing through. "So. What's the deal?"

"Huh," Sephiroth grunted. He reached over and grabbed a beer from the bucket of ice he had sitting on the small black table beside the couch. He tossed it to Reno. It was always better to have bribes available when Reno was around, he'd discovered. "Nothing too big," he said, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. "Just a small job for a skinny Turk."

* * *

Zack clutched the red-and-silver-wrapped package to his chest with one arm and gestured for Cloud to knock on Sephiroth's door with the other.

Cloud nodded and raised his fist to knock.

"He won't answer."

Zack turned toward the voice down the hall and quickly hid a scowl. Rufus Shinra. Rufus Shinra was leaning against the wall, hands folded quietly in front of him, just ten feet down the hall. Zack knew sure as anything he hadn't been there five seconds before. He cleared his throat and shifted the package to his other arm. "Why's that, sir?"

Rufus shook his head, just a quick jerk to either side. "You're a Soldier, Zackary Fair. You outrank me. Don't call me sir."

Zack's expression was skeptical. He'd never actually met Rufus Shinra before, but he'd heard stories, and he'd hoped he'd never have to deal with the kid personally. A spoiled, snot-nosed brat was what he'd been told to expect. That kind of comment, though…it didn't fit with the image. He wasn't sure what to make of that. "Sure," he said, taking a step closer to Cloud, who was staring at Rufus through curious, calculating eyes. "But why don't you think he'll answer?"

Rufus shrugged. "Reno's in there."

Zack froze, but it was Cloud who answered in a slow, soft voice. "And why does that matter?"

A dry, amused smile. "You mean you haven't heard the story of how Reno came to be a Turk? I'm surprised at you, Zackary. I've heard you know everything that goes on in this place."

"Reno. That…was before I came here. Years before."

"True. You must have been about twelve at the time," Rufus cocked his head to the side, examining Cloud. Young, no older than he was, certainly. Slender, like him, but shorter. Brighter, rounder eyes. Too bright, the blue glinting slightly in the fluorescent light. "Who's your friend?"

Cloud stepped forward and held out his hand, his eyes steady but wary. "I'm Cloud Strife," he said. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Rufus," Rufus answered, grasping Cloud's hand and squeezing firmly. "I've heard of you as well. Quite good with a sword, if I'm not mistaken."

Zack grinned. "Yeah, Spiky's damn good with a blade. Guns on the other hand…he still can't hit the broad side of a chocobo pen from twenty feet away."

"Pity," Rufus shook his head and released Cloud's hand. "We should work on that. I'm a decent shot myself. As for Reno and General Sephiroth, however," he slipped his hands into his pockets, a habit he'd picked up from Reno. "They were lovers."

Cloud's heart stilled, sinking, sinking. "Lovers?" he almost whispered.

Rufus nodded and moved to lean back against the wall again. "Sephiroth had some kind of mission to run in Sector Seven a few years back and almost got knifed by a skinny street kid with an attitude. He caught the kid by the hair, and by all rights he should have killed him. He didn't, though," Rufus shook his head, his voice quiet and even. "He took him back to the base with him, into his apartment. Reno was about fourteen at the time, and Sephiroth was sixteen, not even General yet. Everyone knew why he kept Reno around, but no one said a word--who would dare? Sephiroth carried a lot of weight, even back then. He convinced my father to let Reno try for Turk. He didn't get Reno the job. All he did was push Father into giving a no-name, no background, no training street kid a chance to run the trials. Reno did the rest. Still…without Sephiroth…"

Zack swallowed hard. "So what happened? Between them, I mean."

Rufus shrugged. "What happens to anyone? Different jobs, different responsibilities. But," he said, inclining his head toward the door. "That doesn't mean they don't share a…warm greeting every now and again."

Zack and Cloud slid identical stricken glances toward the closed door, but they didn't say anything.

"I can see you need to get in touch with the General," Rufus pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. He punched in a few numbers and snapped the phone shut again. "Reno will be out in half a minute." Rufus turned to leave. "Oh," he looked back over his shoulder. "And Cloud, don't forget to see me about those shooting lessons when you have some free time. I'm sure Zack can show you where to find me."

Zack and Cloud stared at each other as Rufus walked away, not sure what to say exactly. What _could_ they say?

Finally, Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened and Reno stepped out into the hall, a wide grin spreading across his face when he saw them. "Hey, fancy seeing you guys here," he tossed a look back over his shoulder. "Hey, Seph-babe, you got some company out here." He looked back at Zack and then Cloud. "With presents. And a cute little blond. And you're in luck 'cause he looks like a bottom boy for sure."

Cloud reddened, choked. Sputtered. "Reno…"

Zack clamped a hand around Reno's dangling ponytail and jerked down hard. "Shut your loud mouth, Turk, and get the hell out. Don't you have some place to be?"

"Yeah, I got to go check in with the kid. Too bad, too," Reno frowned, carefully extricating his hair from Zack's grip. "I hate to miss the presents. That last one you had was dynamite. Had a little trouble figuring out how to work it though." He grinned again and flashed a look at Sephiroth, who'd come to stand in the doorway behind him. "Don't usually have problems like that, huh, sexy?"

"I should hope not," Sephiroth waved a hand at the door. "Now stop tormenting my guests; get out of my apartment, and go back to babysitting."

"Yeah, yeah," Reno rolled his eyes and slouched his way out past Zack and Cloud. "Oh," he turned around and cocked a sideways smile at Zack. "We're still on for tomorrow, right?"

Zack wanted to say no. He really did. He wanted to punch the smug bastard right in his pretty face. But he couldn't. There were just some things that weren't the same without Reno. Zack jerked his head in a quick nod. "Just remember," he cleared his throat. "I'm driving."

"'course," Reno laughed and pulled his phone out of his pocket as he sauntered off down the hall, three pairs of eyes following his steps.

Finally, Sephiroth stepped back from the door and gestured for Cloud and Zack to come inside. "So," he said, once the door had been closed and he'd taken a seat on the couch again. "What's in the box?"

"Here," Zack said, taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table and passing the package to Sephiroth. "Open it."

Cloud held his breath, Reno nearly forgotten as Sephiroth pulled the silver ribbon loose and dropped it to the floor. Zack had spent a lot of money on this one; it hadn't been easy to get something like this on such short notice. He only hoped Sephiroth liked it, especially since the Etch-a-Sketch hadn't seemed to make any impression at all. Not that he could blame Sephiroth. And it had been such a last minute gift…

Sephiroth gently stripped the wrapping paper away and tugged the lid off the thin cardboard box. He cocked an eyebrow and ran his hand over the expanse of expensive black leather, soft as velvet with a grain as smooth as butter. He shot a glance at Cloud. The only leather clothing items he owned were his uniforms, and they were battle leather. Nothing like this.

"Go on," Cloud said, nodding at the box, his fists clenched tight in his lap.

Sephiroth pulled the leather from the box and shook it out. It was supple with just the barest hint of sheen about it. It was a jacket, plain and unornamented but for the silver zipper that ran down the front and the upturned flight collar that rose from the neck.

"It's custom-made," Zack said. "Got your measurements from supply and took them to a guy I know. Didn't tell him who it was for, of course, but I think it turned out pretty nice."

Sephiroth stood and pulled the jacket around his shoulders, slipped his arms through the sleeves. Silk. It was lined with black silk. He sighed and closed his eyes at the soft embrace of the fabric against the bare skin of his arms. He could get used to this. He tugged the zipper up halfway and pulled his hair away from the collar, stepped over to the mirror in the corner. He smiled, the deep black of the leather a stark contrast and complement to the silver of his hair, the green of his eyes. It was casual but still something like his uniform, something he could feel comfortable wearing around when he was off duty. Sephiroth stalked over to Zack and Cloud, ran a finger along the line of Cloud's cheek, buried a hand in Zack's thick black hair. "I like it when you work together."

"So," Zack drawled, a small smirk settling over his lips. "Four more days, right?"

"As--" Cloud coughed and sucked in a breath. "As long as you _want_ us to come back like that, that is. I mean, I know you've been busy…"

Sephiroth smiled and ran his hand over Cloud's cheek in another deliberate caress. He tugged the collar of the jacket up higher around his neck. "Four more days, Strife. You don't get out of Christmas duty _that_ easily, you know."


	9. Day Nine: Shot

**Twelve Days 'til Christmas  
**By S.J. Kohl

Day Nine: Shot

* * *

"In three days? You're crazy, Cloud!"

Cloud kicked out at Zack's shins as they walked down the hall. "I'm not crazy. It's a good idea."

"Yeah, it's a fucking brilliant idea. There's just one problem…" Zack shook his head. "Gil, Cloud. We're talking thousands here. Lots of 'em. I mean, you know I wouldn't mind spending it. It's not like I need it for anything, but…I don't _have_ it to spend!"

"Yeah, but Zack…"

"I'm serious. They don't pay Second Class that kind of cash. I've got maybe a thousand to last till next stipend, and that's almost three weeks from now," Zack stopped right outside the door to Rufus's rooms and leaned against the wall, his lips thinned out into an irritated grimace.

"Yeah, but…"

"Sucks, too. It's genius. The perfect gift. I still can't believe he hasn't got it already."

Cloud shrugged and leaned back against the wall at Zack's side. "You know the General. He hardly buys anything for himself, and nothing like that's required for him to get his job done, so Shin-Ra wouldn't feel any kind of need to provide it for him."

"Yeah, but still…"

Cloud nodded. "I know, but..."

Zack shook his head, shifted his weight to his other foot. He sighed. "I just don't have it, Spike."

Cloud sighed as well and scrubbed a hand across his forehead. He rolled his eyes, rose up on the tips of his toes, and smacked Zack hard across the back of the head.

"Hey!" Zack glared down at Cloud, rubbing a hand over the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"Being an idiot," Cloud said, eyes narrowed in that determined look he got sometimes. "Maybe now you'll actually listen to me instead of cutting me off at every 'but.'"

"All right," Zack muttered, shaking his head to himself. "I'm listening, chocobo boy."

Cloud smacked him again. "What I was trying to say was I've got the gil."

Silence.

Zack blinked. "What?"

"I've got the gil," Cloud repeated. "Everything we need. I just need you to get everything arranged. I don't know much about--"

"What do you mean you've got the gil? Where'd you get that kind of cash?"

Cloud shrugged. "My mom gave it to me when I left for Midgar. She said my dad left it for me. Didn't need much to get here, and I certainly haven't needed it since I got here, so…"

"Cloudy," Zack plopped an arm down around Cloud's shoulders. "Are you sure…"

Cloud's eyes blazing. "If you can spend the money, why can't I?"

"Relax, blondie. I didn't mean it like that," Zack tightened his arm and ruffled Cloud's hair with his other hand. "I just meant…you know I can't help out much."

"Of course you can. I told you, I need you to arrange everything. I can't…"

A throat cleared off to the side.

Zack and Cloud looked up, sheepish grin and slight blush respectively in place, to see Rufus Shinra leaning against the frame of his now open door. He cocked an eyebrow at them in an oddly Sephiroth-like gesture. "Is there a reason the two of you are loitering outside my apartment?"

Zack's grin widened. "Actually, yeah. I'm looking for Reno, and Cloud here," he shoved Cloud forward, "was wantin' to take you up on those lessons you were offering."

Rufus directed an interested look at Cloud, reaching out an arm to keep the boy on his feet. "You're not supposed to be in class right now?"

"No," Cloud muttered through gritted teeth, throwing a glare back over his shoulder at Zack. He grabbed onto Rufus's arm and steadied himself on his feet before drawing back a step or two. "No class. So…if you're not busy…"

Rufus shrugged. "Not particularly. Most of my work has been suspended for the duration of the holiday. Just let me grab a coat…"

"Hey!"

Rufus turned back and cocked another eyebrow.

"Reno?" Zack asked.

"Not here." Rufus disappeared into his apartment for a brief moment before reemerging with an expensive white sport coat in hand. He shrugged into it and did up the buttons, fixed the cuffs. Then he turned back to Zack. "I suggest you check the General's office." He didn't miss the look that flickered across both their faces. Rufus smiled bitterly to himself. Poor bastards didn't even know they'd already lost the war. "So." He looked at Cloud. "Shall we go?"

Cloud looked at Zack.

"I got this one, Spike. Go ahead," Zack moved to head back down the hall. "Just uh…don't forget to meet me later, right?"

"I'll be there."

* * *

Sephiroth leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk, examining the object he held in his hands. It was a standard cube, six sides of equal size. Each side, however, was composed of nine small squares that were _supposed_ to be of the same color.

If he could just get them that way.

He'd been working this cube for at least two hours already. He'd gotten the first four sides figured out in less than ten minutes. But the last two…

There was a green in the purple and a purple in the green, and every option he tried only served to make the problem worse, not better. If he shifted any of the squares, the colors got mixed on all sides. Sephiroth scowled. Before he could chuck the cube across the room, however, the door clicked open and a suspiciously bright head of red hair flared into his vision. "Better?" Sephiroth asked, not looking up.

"A little," Reno answered, shoving a pile of papers to the side and sliding right up onto the desk, just beside the paper shredder. He plucked the Rubix Cube from Sephiroth's fingers and turned it around, studying it for a second. "I don't know why you had your secretaries block me from the office anyway. I mean, it's not like I'm handcuffing myself to your ceiling fan and dancing around naked on your desk waiting for you to come back."

Sephiroth meant to answer. He really did, but he found himself mesmerized by Reno's hands as they turned the cube this way and that, shifting it around but not displacing any of the cubes. Then they stilled, the cube held lightly in long, lean fingers. Three clicks, three simple shifts of those squares, and Reno tossed the cube back to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth caught it. Stared. Red, purple, blue, green, orange, and yellow. Six sides complete and whole. He looked up and cocked an eyebrow. "How did you…"

Reno just grinned. "Man, I can do those things in my sleep. Good thing too since they put 'em in the Turk trials. Didn't know _you_ liked 'em though."

Sephiroth shrugged. "I don't." He reached over and pulled open the top right hand drawer of his desk. "I've picked up a lot of interesting things lately."

Reno's eyes widened as he stared down into the desk drawer. "You got a slinky?"

"That silver thing?" Sephiroth shrugged again. "I'm not sure what to make of it. All it seems to do is…"

"Flip?" Reno laughed. "That's all it's supposed to do, babe."

Sephiroth blinked. "Then what's the point?"

"No point. Just a kid's toy. Easy amusement for hours on end."

"Ah," Sephiroth nodded. He picked up the silver coil and held it out. "Do you want it then?"

Reno just rolled his eyes and kept rifling through the drawer. Red spinning top, glittery bouncy ball, bag of marbles, Pezz dispenser, toy soldiers, General Sephiroth action figure. Reno shook his head and picked up a pink plastic egg, cracking it open to reveal…sticky goo? "You got _Silly Putty_?"

Sephiroth smiled and gestured for Reno to pop the goo out of the egg.

Reno frowned. It was a soft, pliable pink ball, squished flat on one side from where it had conformed to the plastic of the egg. But it wasn't all pink. There was something printed on it, some kind of squashed, black and white image. Reno flattened the ball out between his hands and then pulled at the edges, stretching the putty out into a taut rectangle. Then he laughed. It was _Hojo_. A tiny, black and white picture of Hojo's head. Reno stretched the picture farther, pulling until Hojo was practically a caricature, his forehead and nose stretched almost beyond belief. He dropped it to the desk and smashed his fist down on top of it. "Nice," he said, glancing up at Sephiroth. "How'd you make this?"

"Newspaper clipping," Sephiroth said shortly. "The ink sticks."

"Cool." Reno peeled the putty up from the table and then set it down again, letting it shrink back down to its normal size. Then he rolled it into a ball, careful not to mess up Hojo's face _too_ much, and threw it at the desk, face side down, catching it neatly as it bounced back up.

"Give me that," Sephiroth snapped, snatching it from Reno and throwing it down onto the surface of the desk himself, catching it easily. "I didn't know it bounced."

"Yeah, it…" Reno's voice trailed off as Sephiroth bounced the Hojo ball up and down experimentally a few times before chunking it hard at the office door.

Which opened before the ball could get there.

But Zack only caught the ball in one fist as he entered and tossed it back to Sephiroth, grinning easily and shaking his head. "Do you do _any_ work these days?"

"A little," Sephiroth shrugged and popped the putty back into its container, snapping the egg closed and shutting it, along with the Slinky and the Rubix Cube, back into the desk drawer. He looked up at Zack. "On occasion."

"What are you complainin' about, yo?" Reno snorted. "You been tryin'a train him outta workaholic status for years."

"Never said I was complaining," Zack said, glaring at Reno. "Well, not about him. _You,_ on the other hand…"

"What did _I_ do?"

Zack blinked at Reno. "You. Me. Plans. Stop me when I ring a bell."

"Oh, yeah. You ready to jet then?"

"More than ready. I've been looking for you for hours."

"Sorry, man," Reno grinned. Then he leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Sephiroth's lips, running one hand through the man's long hair. "See ya later, babe. Zack and me are gonna go paint the town black and blue."

"Black and blue?" Sephiroth asked, resisting the urge to wipe his mouth.

"Yup," Reno said, slinking toward the door, hands in his pockets. "Comes to that just about every time we go into a bar, doesn't it?"

"Pretty much," Zack said, fists clenched tight as he let Reno walk through the door ahead of him. He nodded at Sephiroth and pulled the door closed behind him, jogging a little to catch up with Reno, who was already halfway down the hall. "Hey. Change in plans."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. So…does Sephiroth _ever_ get out of that uniform?"

Reno flashed a wicked grin. "Wouldn't you like ta know."

"Actually, I would," Zack said. "I need your help with something, Reno. Want to come downtown with me?"

Reno shrugged. "Why not? Got nothin' else to do."  
**  


* * *

**

Cloud frowned as he focused on the target. He didn't really see what good it was going to do though. He'd missed every shot he'd taken so far, hadn't so much as grazed the edge of the paper. He narrowed his eyes, zeroed his gaze in on the head of the human outline etched onto the paper a hundred feet away, and pulled back on the trigger.

Rufus pushed a button and the target zoomed toward them, but Cloud could tell before it came close that he'd missed again. He sighed. He was supposed to be a Soldier, to fight with a sword. Swords were what he was good at. Guns…

Rufus shook his head. "Whatever it is, you can't let it eat at you like that."

"What?" Cloud looked up, eyes wide and startled.

"You're letting everything get to you," Rufus explained. "You can't shoot like that. You have to relax, let all your thoughts flow out until there's nothing there but you, the target, and the trigger. There's a line between you and that target. You just have to follow it."

Cloud stared at the target, eyes cold. "I don't understand."

Rufus clicked the button again, and the target zoomed back to its proper distance. He moved to stand behind Cloud, fitting his hands over Cloud's and urging him to pull the gun back up in front of him, arms outstretched. "Spread your legs a little, and put the right one out in front. Get a good balance."

Cloud followed Rufus's instructions, taking in a deep breath as Rufus's leg moved forward with his, staying pressed right up against him. What disturbed him about the whole situation was that it didn't disturb him in the least. He felt oddly comfortable with Rufus Shinra pressed practically full length against him. Still… He twisted his foot outward a little, until the balance felt right. "Now what?"

"Close your left eye," Rufus answered, leaning his head over Cloud's shoulder and gazing down the length of the gun. It was a rifle. Easy action, good grip. Nice choice for a beginner, though he preferred the double barreled shotgun himself. "Now. Take a deep breath, let it out, and stop thinking."

Cloud sucked air into his lungs and held it there as he allowed his eyes to slip closed. Rufus's fingers were fitted loosely over his, not molding or pushing, just…there. Holding. Maybe guiding. There was strength in his fingers though; Cloud could feel it. He let the breath slide out through his lips and slid his right eye open once more. "All right," he said.

"Good," Rufus said. "Now. All things have a life force, and so all things are connected. There's a line between you and that target, Cloud. You just have to sense it. Follow it. That bullet's going to run right down that line."

Cloud nodded and drew in another breath as Rufus pulled his hands away and stepped back. He let the air out as his gaze traveled down the length of the gun and outward, coming into focus on the target, a long line stretched out in between. He closed his eyes. And fired.

"Not bad," Rufus said, calling the target toward them again. He pointed at the small, round hole just inside the black outline of the target's head. "Next time keep your eye open."

Cloud looked over at him. "How did you…"

"Experience. I used to do the same thing. But if you close your eyes, your aim tends to waver a little. And that's aside from the fact that it's just plain stupid to shoot a gun with your eyes closed. That's one way to go about striking friendly targets."

Cloud flushed. "Point taken."

"So when's your next class?" Rufus asked. "It's getting pretty late."

"I don't have any more classes today."

"No?" Rufus cocked an eyebrow. "Want to stay a little longer, then?"

Cloud nodded and raised the gun again. "Just let me know when six o'clock gets here."

* * *

Sephiroth stepped out of the shower as a knock sounded at the door of his apartment, cursing Soldier hearing for clueing him in on the knock in the first place. His eyes slid over the clock on his bedroom wall, and he sighed. After six already? Odin, he missed being a regular Soldier. His day had gone downhill fast after Reno and Zack had left. He'd only just gotten cleaned up after that disaster at the reactor to the northeast, and whoever was at that door had better hope they were Cloud and Zack or they were going to find themselves splattered all over the hallway wall. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Sephiroth sighed and made his way through the apartment to the front door, popping the lock and jerking it roughly open.

It was indeed Cloud and Zack on the other side, and there was the most adorable blush creeping its way up Cloud's cheeks. Sephiroth almost smiled, but then there was that flash of red in the corner of his eye he'd learned to dread.

"Hey, Seph-baby," Reno drawled as he strolled around the corner, arms piled high with boxes. "Figured I'd join in on the celebration today as I helped pick out the gifts." He stopped then, and eyed Sephiroth up and down with a crooked smirk. "Well, hot damn. You are one _sexy_ demon. See, Zack," Reno grinned. "Told ya he took that thing off at least once a night."

Sephiroth sighed. "Reno…"

"What?" Reno said. "I mean, it's pretty obvious you…"

Reno's pocket began to ring, a little techno ring that Sephiroth thought wasn't actually too bad, but Reno didn't appear to appreciate it.

"Dammit," he muttered. "Babysitting time again." He shoved the pile of presents at Cloud. "Guess you lucky boys get to enjoy this one without me. Just don't get _too_ close, yo." He didn't look back at any of them as he walked down the hall, just grinned a little to himself and shook his head. They really were fun to play with. He didn't think Sephiroth quite got it yet though. There was a real chance of splitting the two of them up over this. Might not even be too hard. Lust just did that sometimes. What the hell was Sephiroth planning on doing with them anyway? There were two of them. Now, Reno was a pretty easygoing guy, and _he_ might would've been willing to share, but most people weren't, not when it came to that sort of thing. And if Sephiroth picked one over the other? Reno snorted. Almost certain to split the two of them up.

All things considered, Reno should be pretty happy about that, but he really couldn't say he liked the idea. Zack was his friend, and Cloud was _Zack's_ friend. He really just hoped Sephiroth knew what the hell he was doing. In any case, Reno was a Turk, and Turks took orders. The fact that these particular orders came from Sephiroth didn't make a damn bit of difference; Reno'd been taking orders from _him_ long before he'd been taking them from the President or the kid. He wasn't about to stop now.

Allowing a small smile to creep onto his face, Reno stopped in front of Rufus's door and scanned his keycard, slipping inside and closing the door softly behind him. Rufus was on the couch, toying idly with a sleek black pistol. Reno cleared his throat. "What's up, boss?"

Rufus smiled. "I need you to get me a file."

"Yeah?" Reno said, plopping down on the arm of the couch and stretching his legs out over the cushions. "Who on?"

"Cloud Strife."

Reno wrinkled his nose. "Strife? What do you want a file on him for?"

A shrug and a twirl of the gun. "Let's just say I'm interested."

Reno opened his mouth, closed it again, surprised by the sting of jealousy that knifed through his veins. But his expression didn't waver; he kept his eyes on the gun. He was a Turk, after all, and Turks followed orders. "Sure, boss," he said. "You want that now?"

Sephiroth locked the door behind Zack and Cloud and waved them over to the couch. "Just let me get some clothes on and I'll…"

"Actually," Cloud cleared his throat, face tinged bright red. "You might want to wait on that a minute."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. Just waited for more information.

Zack sighed in exasperation and shoved the packages at Sephiroth. "Shiva's tits, Sephiroth, just open them!"

Sephiroth glanced down nervously at the brightly wrapped gifts in his arms. "Reno said he helped with these."

Cloud nodded, perched on the very edge of the couch. "I wanted to go, but cadets are only allowed off premises for drills. And Zack didn't really know what to get so…I…kind of told him to bring Reno along."

"And that's supposed to be reassuring?"

"Well," Cloud said slowly. "It wasn't--"

"Just open them."

With a short huff, Sephiroth moved to sit on the coffee table, not really bothering to make sure the towel stayed firmly in place. The first box was light, and Sephiroth tore into the wrapping and popped it open without pausing to think first. Thinking would doubtless make it difficult to open any gift from Reno. Not that he'd ever gotten one before. Which made this…

Sephiroth's eyes widened just the tiniest bit. He pulled the item out, shook it slightly. It was a shirt. A silk button down, with subtle silver stitching on the sleeves and hem. "Hnh," Sephiroth grunted, setting the shirt to the side and moving on to the next package. A little heavier than the last. He ripped through the paper and slid a nail along the other side, severing the hold the tape had on the box and flipping the lid open. Denim. Sephiroth ran a hand over the material. Soft, worn-feeling. A pale, faded blue. Sephiroth almost laughed as he pulled out a pair of blue jeans and held them up against the light. He'd never owned jeans in his life. Shaking his head, he moved on to the third box, much heavier than the other two.

Boots.

They were boots, but not combat boots. No, these were shorter, not quite mid-calf, and the leather was thicker, less supple than the uniform boots he'd designed for himself. They were sturdy, but the leather was sleek and polished, and two zippers ran down the front of each boot, the silver standing out sharply against the black. Sephiroth sucked in a breath. He couldn't deny that the outfit would look damn good, and with the leather jacket they'd given him already…

Sephiroth smiled and looked up at Zack and Cloud. "Thank you," he murmured. Then his smile melted down into a stern glare, and he set the boots to the side with the shirt and pants. "But don't go expecting some kind of…fashion show. You've seen enough of my skin for the night, and I, for my part, am _quite_ exhausted. So out, both of you. I'm going to get some sleep before something else goes drastically wrong."

"Yes, sir," Zack and Cloud scrambled to their feet, Cloud's eyes skittering around to focus anywhere and on anything besides Sephiroth's skin, and Zack's eyes firmly fixed on nothing but.

Sephiroth really couldn't decide which was more amusing. He cleared his throat when they finally reached the door. "Cadet Strife," he said.

"Sir?" Cloud turned back to face the General once more, his eyes focused carefully on the man's face.

"Do the two of you have somewhere you plan on having me _wear_ this outfit three days from now?"

"I…" Cloud licked his lips and flicked his eyes over to Zack. "I, uh…"

Zack closed an arm around Cloud's shoulder and turned him firmly toward the door, pulling it open smoothly. "We're not allowed to divulge that sort of information, General. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait."

"Yeah," Cloud agreed, a little breathless. "But just three more days is all…"

Sephiroth laughed as the door snapped shut firmly behind them.


	10. Day Ten: Shade

**Twelve Days 'til Christmas**  
By S.J. Kohl

A/N: Seven months since my last update. SEVEN! I'm surprised you guys aren't mobbing me, out for blood. Yikes. Well, it's here now, and only two chapters left to go! Things are gettinger serious, but I'm promising a happy ending. And a Gift!fic for anyone who figures out what the hell's going on. Hope you enjoy!

**Day Ten: Shade**

* * *

Cloud shifted uncomfortably and ran his fingers over the butt of the rifle stretched across his lap. Rufus had offered to let him keep it yesterday so he could practice on his own, out on the troopers' firing range. Rufus had also offered to let him come back for another lesson today.

And Cloud had taken him up on the offer, without even stopping to think about it.

Cloud frowned and leaned back against his pillow. He wasn't quite sure what to think about that. Rufus Shinra. He should be wary around Rufus Shinra--Zack wasn't the only one who'd told him that. But it didn't seem to matter. Yesterday...he'd had a great afternoon, and he just felt _comfortable_ around Rufus. There wasn't really another word to describe it. First of all, he was Cloud's age, not even a whole year older, and he didn't treat Cloud the way everyone else did. Cloud _wanted _to go back and spend more time with him.

But...what did that mean, exactly?

He was in love with Sephiroth. Wasn't he? And if he was, then what was it he felt when he was around Rufus? Mr. Shinra. Nah...Rufus. It just sounded stupid calling someone Mr. when he wasn't any older than you were. But what was it? He didn't have feelings for Rufus. Did he?

No. Sephiroth. He had feelings for _Sephiroth. _

But what _about _Sephiroth, anyway? Did he and Zack stand any kind of chance at all? Zack did, maybe. He was a Soldier, and Cloud...well. He was no Soldier. He didn't have anything to offer, and...well, Reno _was _gorgeous. And he was a Turk, a _good _Turk apparently, since he'd been made personal bodyguard to the President's son. He was smart, too, and funny. He could make even Commander Hewley laugh, and couldn't be easy. Cloud couldn't see any reason the General _wouldn't_ want Reno, and how could he stand against something like that?

Of course, just because Rufus said something didn't necessarily make it true. He could have been lying. He had a reputation for being secretive and manipulative. But Cloud was pretty sure Rufus had been telling the truth about the whole "Sephiroth and Reno were lovers" thing. There'd been something...dark...behind his eyes when he'd been talking to them. Something sad. And _that _pissed Cloud off more than anything else. Something had made Rufus feel bad, and he didn't like it all. It made him want to put one of the bullets in the little carton beside him through someone's skull.

Something else he didn't understand.

Maybe he'd been wrong, though. Maybe it _wasn't _Sephiroth he was in love with. But no. There really was no mistaking that shiver-hot, breathless feeling he got when the General was around, and the things he thought... And...with Rufus... Well.

Maybe it was possible to love more than one person?

But he'd only just met Rufus Shinra. He didn't even _know _him. He couldn't possibly--

Cloud looked up as a shadow fell over his bed. He blinked. "Zack?"

"Hey, Spike," Zack grinned. "Been looking for you for a while. Thought you'd be in class right now."

Cloud shook his head and bit his lip. "I don't have a midmorning class. I'm sorry, I...I thought you knew."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Zack ruffled a hand through Cloud's hair. "My mistake. I just wanted to let you know Ell says he can get it done in time, 'specially for the kind of gil you're willing to shell out, so we've got no problem there. Oh and hey, if I can get you cleared to leave the grounds...you think you want to go with me to pick up the General's gift for today?"

"I uh..." Cloud bit his lip again and looked away. "I can't. Rufus...he said...he said he'd give me another lesson. If I wanted."

"Huh." Zack plopped down on the edge of Cloud's bed and gave Cloud a long, searching look. "You okay, Spike?"

Cloud nodded.

"Sure?"

"Zack, I'm _fine._"

"You're really set on this rifle business, aren't you? Thought you'd be in the practice room as usual, working on those sword skills."

Cloud shrugged. "It's always good to learn new things. And I hit the target yesterday. More than once, Zack."

"Hey, that's great, Cloudy!" Zack grinned and ruffled Cloud's hair again. "You've never even clipped it before. Guess Rufus is a better teacher than I'd give him credit for. Huh. He's not giving you a hard time, is he?"

Cloud shook his head. "No. He's not so bad, Zack. Not like you think. I think he's mostly...well, lonely."

"Lonely?" Zack laughed. "You've got to be kidding me. The President's _son, _lonely?"

"Yes, Zack! Think about it for a second. _No one _treats him like a normal person, and he's not any older than I am. He can't even _act _like a normal person because he's the _President's son, _like you said, and that's what everyone treats him like, all the time. He's set apart. He doesn't have any friends, and he's still a kid so he doesn't even have any kind of power really. If I was him, I'd probably act just like he does. At least then you'd make sure no one _knew _you felt terrible and left out and alone."

"Huh." It was Zack who bit his lip this time. "I never thought about it like that."

"Yeah, well...that doesn't surprise me. So...just go by yourself, okay? But call me when you get back."

"Sure thing." Zack hesitated for a second. "Hey, uh...call me if you need anything. Okay?"

Cloud smiled softly. "Sure thing."

* * *

Rufus watched from around the edge of his little alcove. There wasn't much else he could do. They were standing between him and the stairs. Sephiroth and Reno. The General was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, and Reno was smirking and laughing, stepping closer and closer as he chattered aimlessly about...whatever it was he was chattering about. Rufus had stopped listening ten minutes before.

Reno was smooth. He was moving just slowly and carefully enough that the General's reflexes didn't kick in and knock him halfway down the hall. But he _was _getting closer. There was no doubt about that. His face and the General's were only inches apart now and Rufus almost moved, almost shoved right through the middle of them because the last thing he wanted to see at the moment was a full scale makeout session. But then he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He glanced to the right.

Zack Fair, dressed in jeans with a dark jacket thrown over his shoulder, obviously heading toward the door to the parking tower. Rufus sucked in a breath and stuffed his own hands in his pockets. This was getting interesting. And...

There it was.

Reno leaned in and kissed Sephiroth, who smiled and pulled him closer, his fingers sliding through soft strands of red.

And Zack...paled. He just paled and almost stumbled out into the hall, murmuring an apology as he twisted past Reno--very carefully _not _touching him--and headed down the stairs, not even pausing to glance behind him on the way down.

And Sephiroth...pushed Reno away to stare after Zack, a calculating look on his face.

Now that look...that wasn't something Rufus had expected to see. He wondered what it meant. But things were breaking up now. Sephiroth was running a hand through Reno's hair and whispering something Rufus couldn't hear before heading down the stairs after Zack, and Reno...

Reno was heading straight for him.

Rufus sucked in a deep breath and considered heading back the way he'd come. But no. He could tell by the look on Reno's face that the Turk knew he was there. So he just stayed where he was, where he'd _thought _he couldn't be seen by anyone in that particular hall, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets in conscious mimicry of Sephiroth's stance. Before Reno'd swooped in and kissed the General, of course.

Reno ducked into the little alcove off the hallway where Rufus was standing and shoved his hands into his pockets--seemed everyone was standing like that today. He grinned. "Need somethin', boss?"

Rufus shrugged. "Just to get up the stairs and into my room without have to step over anyone on the way."

Reno laughed. "Yeah, okay. Not really doin' my job right, am I?"

"I already told you, Reno. I don't need anything. I certainly don't need a bodyguard to get back to my room."

"Sure thing, boss. Hey, I got that file for you. Made copies of everything inside and left the originals where they were, so nothing's missing 'case someone comes lookin' for it. Dropped the whole thing on your bed a couple minutes ago. Sorry it took so long, but those records are locked up pretty damn tight, ya know? Found a couple entries on Strife in the database too and printed those out for ya. Thought you might want to look at 'em."

"Did you read them?"

"Nah. Didn't bother. Figured I'd leave the boring parts to you. Anyway, I guess I'm gonna go if ya don't need me right now, boss. I'm sure Tseng can find something for me ta do."

Rufus nodded and pushed past Reno out into the hall. He didn't head for the stairs though. He ducked into the hallway on the right instead, his trigger finger itching in his pocket.

* * *

Zack's head was spinning. All he could see was red. And the shining blackness of the General's gloves, woven through the middle of it. He couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but stumble down the stairs until he hit the bottom, and then he collapsed against the wall, his face completely numb. But there were footsteps, footsteps on the stairs behind him.

Zack gasped, forcing a breath of air into his lungs and shaking his head, reaching out to punch in the access code to the hall that would take him out to the parking tower. But his fingers were trembling and he couldn't hit the buttons right and that damned light was flashing red, red, telling him "no access" "no access" and the footsteps were getting closer, and...

"Zack?"

Zack froze and closed his eyes. "Yes, Sir?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No, Sir," Zack shook his head, but he didn't turn around to face the General. "I'm just in a hurry."

"And where are you going?"

Zack laughed and shook his head again, flashing a single glance back over his shoulder. "To get your gift, of course. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Zack--"

"Don't even ask! I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to find a way to distract yourself until tonight," Zack hesitated for a fraction of a second. "I'm sure you won't have any trouble with that."

"But Zack..."

Zack just punched in the code, his fingers completely steady this time, and pulled the door open. ""Sorry, Seph. I've really got to go." He shot an apologetic look at the General. "But if you really want someone to pester, Cloud's up at the Turk shooting range. But he won't tell you any more than I did."

He stepped through the door and sucked in a shaky breath as it clicked shut behind him. It wasn't over. It wasn't _over, _damn it.

* * *

Rufus was already standing in front of a target when Cloud walked into the room, rifle clutched tightly in his hands. And Cloud's heart did a little jump at the tension in Rufus's shoulders. There was that anger again, flaring up inside him. There was something about the set of Rufus's back that told him he had that dark look on his face again. Cloud didn't like that look at all. He took a deep breath and just _watched_ for a second as Rufus set his feet, took aim, and fired off two shots, one to the chest and one to the head.

Only...it came out one to the shoulder and one to the left ear.

Cloud frowned and cleared his throat once the ringing in his ears had dissipated a little. "Whatever it is...you can't let it eat at you like that."

Rufus lowered the shotgun and turned slowly, one eyebrow cocked. Cloud could've sworn it made a clicking noise as it raised up into the air. "Excuse me?"

"Well," Cloud shuffled further into the room and smiled, just a little smile, but a smile nonetheless. "You weren't missing like that yesterday, so I figure either that was all luck or...there's something on your mind. And since I'm betting it wasn't luck...well...you can't let it eat at you like that. At least, that's what you told _me._"

Rufus chuckled. "That's what I get for giving out advice. It gets thrown back in my face. But you're right. I _am_ a miserable shot today. How about you?"

Cloud laughed. "I'm a miserable shot every day."

"That's not what I meant," Rufus shook his head and took a step toward Cloud, gesturing expansively. "I just meant, how are _you _doing today?"

"Fine, I guess," Cloud shrugged. "It's been...kind of a weird week. And things don't look like they're getting any less weird, but other than that it's not so bad."

Rufus nodded. "I think I know what you mean. You want to take a shot?"

Cloud smiled shyly and moved forward to take Rufus's place in the stall. He looked back over his shoulder at Rufus. "Only if you'll tell me what I'm doing wrong."

"Not tell," Rufus murmured, slipping into position behind Cloud and monitoring his movements as he loaded the gun and raised it up to eye level. "It's better if I show you."

* * *

Reno caught up to Sephiroth just outside the Turk breakroom. "So...everything work out like you planned, babe?"

Sephiroth paused, shaking his head at the flash of red that seemed to be ever-present in his peripheral vision these days. The huge room the Turks used for target practice was sound-proofed, thick-walled, and well-shielded besides. As it should be, to avoid any of the many incidents that might otherwise occur. Still, it meant he would hear nothing of what was going on inside until he actually opened the door, which was still a good distance down the hall. "I don't know," he murmured truthfully, eyes gleaming as he narrowed his gaze in on the door at the end of the hall. "Zack...did not react as I'd suspected he would."

"Huh," Reno snorted. "You sure you know what you're doing here?"

"Certainly. Zack suggested I come up here."

"Not up _here,_" Reno rolled his eyes and gestured expansively. "What I mean is, what are you doing to them, _with _them. What in Shiva's name are ya tryin' ta pull?"

Sephiroth frowned, not sure whether he should be pleased or worried that Reno had addressed him by name. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"You're messing with them. They like you. They genuinely _like _your stupid, stubborn ass, and you're fucking with them."

"I am _not _fuc--" Sephiroth growled. "I'm not messing with them."

Reno laughed. "You don't know much about how this whole jealousy thing works, do you?"

Sephiroth's frown deepened. "Jealousy?"

"_Fuck, _babe, of course _jealousy! _What the hell did you think was going to happen if you started making out with me in front of Zack, or flirting with me when they're both right there, staring at you through the open door of your apartment? Did you think it'd just make them work harder to catch your interest, give them a little bit of incentive?"

"I..."

"That's what you thought, isn't it?" Reno stared at Sephiroth, seeing what he'd never been in a position to notice before. "It's just another war game to you. Just tactics and strategy, presenting a goal to be attained and challenges that must be overcome in order to reach it." He laughed again and shook his head. "This is _life, _babe. It's not a game. They're _kids. _They get upset and hurt and discouraged, and they're _good _kids, Seph. They're Soldier kids, all about honor and duty. I'd stake my life on the fact that they'll back off if they think you're already involved with someone, if they think you're happy. They aren't like Turks. They don't just take things, and they _especially _don't interfere with anything their General happens to want."

"But..." Sephiroth drew in a slow, deep breath. "It was just a kiss. How would they know..."

"I thought you were supposed to be a strategist, General, able to see all contingencies. It may all have gone down before they got here, but that doesn't mean they won't hear that story. People talk, babe. You should never have forgotten that."

"Of course I know people talk, Reno. That's why I..." Sephiroth blinked, stared at the practice room door again. "Rufus."

"Hot damn but you're brain _does _work sometimes. But you're right," Reno sobered immediately. "Rufus. You know how much he _loves _that story, 'specially now his daddy's put him under my supervision. And Rufus had taken quite an interest in young Strife these past couple of days. In fact..." This time it was Reno who shot a pointed gaze at the door. "I think you might get a nice little taste of all that jealousy I was talking about if you walk through that door."

"Cloud's in there," Sephiroth said slowly, turning his head to look down at Reno. "Who's with him?"

Reno smirked. "Take a guess, yo. Leastways, kid didn't go back up to his room like he said he was going to, and I have a pretty good guess as to where he _actually _went..."

Sephiroth nodded, having expected the answer, but he'd had to ask anyway. "Reno," he said. "You never did tell me why it was you were looking for me."

"Ah, nothing important," Reno laughed and turned to leave. "Just wanted to ask why it was you cut me out like that. But I see now...tactics and war games, same as everything else. I'll catch ya later, babe. Let me know if you need any more help with this game, yeah?"

Sephiroth nodded absently, walking toward the door at the end of the hall even as Reno took off in the other direction. He stopped a couple steps from the door, though, straining to hear something, anything from the other side. But the soundproofing had certainly been thorough and Sephiroth couldn't quite bring himself to open the door.

* * *

"Okay," Cloud said, following Rufus's direction and shifting his grip on the rifle. "So what do I..."

But his phone rang just then, vibrating in his pocket and kicking up with the song that meant Zack was calling--"It's Raining Men", _not_ his personal choice. "Sorry," Cloud bit his lip and turned around to hand the rifle carefully to Rufus and fish his phone out of his pocket. He flipped it open. "Zack? You're back _already?" _

"No. I haven't even left yet," Zack's laugh on the other end of the line sounded wooden.

Cloud was immediately worried. "Zack," he said again, already heading toward the door. "Is everything okay?"

"No, uh...Cloudy," Zack coughed slightly, and his voice sounded thick, heavy. "We have a problem."

"I'll meet you in your room," Cloud said shortly, snapping the phone shut and turning to face Rufus. "I, umm...I have to go. I'm really sorry...Sir."

Rufus racked the gun in the corner with the one he'd been using--someone would come by to clean up properly in a few minutes--and waved a dismissive hand at Cloud. "Don't worry about it. But I'll walk you down if you don't mind."

"I'd like that," Cloud smiled shyly and allowed Rufus to take his arm and lead him from the room. He felt calmer, less jumpy from the second Rufus's hand touched his arm. He even felt like he might be able to breathe again.

Until Rufus opened the door and Cloud saw the General standing right outside, casually leaning against the wall like he had nothing better to do in the world. Cloud snapped to attention. "Sir." But Rufus stepped closer to him, nodding at the General and murmuring a quiet "General Sephiroth" without really seeming to pay the General any attention at all, and the General was staring at them both like he _knew _how safe Rufus made Cloud feel just by being around him. Cloud swallowed nervously. "Was there something you need...Sir?"

But Sephiroth just shook his head in a clear dismissal and muttered a quick, "Meeting someone," before turning his attention back to the wall opposite him.

Cloud sighed, relieved, and nodded, allowing Rufus to take his arm again and steer him down the hall in the direction of the Soldier quarters.

* * *

Sephiroth almost jumped at the knock on his door. It had been hours since he'd seen Cloud strolling down the hallway, arm in arm with Rufus Shinra, and even longer since he'd sent Zack jetting off into the city to escape him. What had he been thinking, implementing this plan of his? Clearly, it was not a decicion he should have made. He'd spent the afternoon looking for the both of them, and when that had failed him, he'd gone off in search of Reno, and even Rufus, but he hadn't been able to locate any of them.

Sephiroth sighed and blew out a long breath of air. Well, at least they were here now. He'd been half-thinking they wouldn't show up with a gift this evening. But a promise was a promise, he supposed.

Rising swiftly, Sephiroth made his way to the door and pulled it open, but...

Zack and Cloud weren't there.

There was just Reno with a red-wrapped package in hand and a grim look on his angular face. "I got this dropped on my doorstep, along with a note that said it might be better if I were the one to give it to you." Reno laughed, but there wasn't any humor in the sound. "Two days 'til Christmas, Seph-baby. I hope that's enough time to fix the mess you made."

"Thank you," Sephiroth almost whispered, taking the package from Reno and closing his eyes.

Two days.

He had two days to fix this, and he didn't even know where to begin.


End file.
